Chen Shu stood at the dormitory door, took off his coat, and shook snow all over the floor.
He put his coat back on and swiped his card to enter.
It was hardly warm inside, but it was warmer than outdoors. He hurriedly shut the door and changed into slippers by the entrance. As soon as he reached the living room, he saw Meng Chunqiu on the balcony in a pure white fur cloak, facing the wind and snow with his head slightly raised. He stood silent and pensive, as though an immortal verse would spring from his lips at any moment.
"Brother Meng."
Chen Shu tossed the Durian he was carrying onto the coffee table and called out, "Writing poetry again?"
"Hm?"
Meng Chunqiu turned sharply. "Brother Chen, where have you been these past few days?"
"Out having fun."
"I haven't seen you back at the dorm in days."
"A little sister of mine came to Jade Capital for an exam. I showed her around for a couple of days."
"I see." Meng Chunqiu remained on the balcony, now with his back to the storm and his face toward Chen Shu. "This year's snow is a rare sight."
"What makes it rare?"
"It came earlier and fell heavier than in previous years," Meng Chunqiu told him. "Come out onto the balcony, Brother Chen. Look down from here and you'll see how beautiful the gardens are. It's merely a different angle from when you're down there, yet everything looks completely different."
Chen Shu stepped onto the balcony and stood beside him, looking down. It really was as beautiful as an impressionistic painting of wind and snow. "That cold front moving south this year..."
"Indeed. Thanks to it, we have such a lovely snowscape."
"Lovely, but cold." Chen Shu glanced at